Reality In Exile
Classic Rock • Est. 30+ Years Ago • Back On Stage
Three states. One band. Unfinished business.
Three states. One band. Unfinished business.
After three decades, the amps are humming again. Here's where you can catch us.
More dates after St. Louis? We'll see how the old bones hold up.
A little something from the archives while we dust off the rest.
Over thirty years ago, Reality In Exile packed rooms, made noise, and built a following the old-fashioned way, one sweaty show at a time. Then life did what life does, and the band scattered across three states.
We're older now. The gear is better, the backs are worse, and the songs still hit the same. This year, we're plugging back in, starting with a show in St. Louis.
Reality in Exile was is a Classic Rock band that was active from 1995 to 1998 in the St. Louis, MO area.
The band performed songs from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and some 90s songs by classic rock artists. The group's original lineup was:
Nick Burchett — Guitar/Keyboards/Vocals
Bob Welsh — Guitar/Vocals
Paul Gibson — Bass/Vocals
Greg Lawrence — Drums
The band then went through a few drummers, replacing Greg with Kel Hamilton, followed by Mark McClanahan, and finally Art Balducci for one show in Lesterville, MO. At that time, Art was the group's final drummer.
The band was formed by Bob and Nick, who then enlisted Paul. His audition, playing The Beatles' “Something,” ended any thought of anyone else playing bass.
The band's name came after a night of Nick and Bob having drinks at The Dogtown Grill on McCausland. They took something written on the men's room wall and used it as the band's name. Honestly, there is no other hidden meaning behind it. The guys in the band mostly refer to the group as “RIE.”
The band initially focused on guitar-driven songs that were tried-and-true staples of the bar scene and were actually fun to play. Bob and Nick both handled lead and rhythm guitar duties, and all three sang lead vocals on a variety of songs, with Paul singing the bulk of the tunes. Nick eventually began playing keyboards as well, allowing the band to expand and perform songs it normally would not have been able to play.
The band's first show was a New Year's Eve party it hosted in House Springs, MO. The group played throughout the St. Louis and Metro East area at places such as Schmeizing's, which was on Hampton Avenue when The Arena was still standing; 66 West in Pacific; Red's Again in St. Charles; Rascals in Valley Park; and The Amazon Lounge on Christy Boulevard in South St. Louis, where the band performed multiple shows.
The band developed a fairly loyal following, consisting mostly of people who belonged to a local bulletin board system called “Affinity.” Members would often hold their gatherings at places where the band was performing.
By 1998, Nick, Bob, and Paul had decided they each wanted to do something different. The band played its final show on New Year's Eve 1998 at The Amazon Lounge.
Bob and Nick formed the band “Jigawatt.” Nick later left that group and joined “The South Side Johnny Band.” Eventually, Bob and Paul both briefly joined the SSJ Band, and then Nick, Paul, and Art formed the group “Blufish.” Bob eventually moved away from St. Louis, followed by Nick. Paul eventually moved away as well.
In 2023, Nick and Paul, who were both living in eastern Kansas, reunited in two groups: “The Hoodoo Brothers” and “The Kaw Tunes,” with drummer Mickey Munoz. Bob created his own groups in North Carolina and found considerable success.
Paul later moved back to St. Louis. The Hoodoo Brothers ended, and The Kaw Tunes was supposed to end as well. However, people still wanted to hear the band, so a show was booked in 2024. Paul came in from St. Louis, and after a year of not playing together, the group played a stellar show and continues to do so to this day.
Now, with Nick in Kansas, Bob in Indiana, and Paul back in St. Louis, the band is considering a reunion show in St. Louis in the near future. Work is currently underway on a setlist, venue, and date. Mickey Munoz will be the band's final drummer, and the group is excited to have him.
So, in reality (see what we did there) the band is alive and starting to take it's first steps in over 30 years. I gave you the original lineup. Here is the current and final lineup:
Nick Burchett — Guitar/Keyboards/Vocals
Bob Welsh — Guitar/Vocals
Paul Gibson — Bass/Vocals
Mickey Munoz — Drums/Vocals
We will be working on playing our first show in Saint Louis, MO. date TBD. Beyond that remains to be seen. Because of the distances, chances are best that will will mainly stick to Saint Louis (since it is central, more of less, for the other members of the band) but the future is unwritten, maybe you'll see us in Kansas or Indiana/Ohio. Stay tuned!
Booking, old friends, old fans, or anyone who still has memories of our shows from back in the day... we'd love to hear from you.